NCRB report discounts what you believe and say
Nirendra Dev
NEW DELHI, MARCH 31: Statistics either prove a lot or they prove nothing except providing fodder for intellectual debates.
The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report of the Union Home Ministry says under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act) – Cases Registered by Anti-Corruption Bureau, Vigilance and Lokayukta in Nagaland in 2021 was only one. If you are surprised, in Mizoram it stood at 4 and Manipur recorded 7 and yet again the score comes do zero in Meghalaya. But in two other BJP-ruled Arunachal Pradesh and Assam the figure stood at 12 and 16 respectively.
For Prevention of Corruption Act & Related Sections of IPC Cases Reported – the figure for Nagaland stood at mere one in 2019 and 2021 and it was 4 in 2020, according to ‘Crime in India – 2021’.
Under Police Disposal of Cases by Anti-Corruption Bureau, Vigilance and Lokayukta under Prevention of Corruption Act and Related Sections of IPC (State/UT-wise) – 2021, the figures for
Nagaland – 25 cases pending and there were only two charge-sheets.
The Court Disposal of Anti-Corruption, Vigilance and Lokayukta cases under Prevention of Corruption Act, and Related Sections of IPC was zero.
But under ‘Action against Persons Arrested and Departmental Action taken in Offences under P.C. Act’ – 2021, there were 10 arrest, 21 charge-sheeted and there were total 15 persons who were acquitted.
In cyber crime there were 2 cases in 2019, followed by 8 in 2020 and also the same figure (8) even in 2021.
However, what should generally raise a social alarm is the fact that Nagaland has witnessed a significant rise in crime against children between 2019-21 where a total of 140 cases were registered and 22 persons convicted during the period. As per the National Crime Records Bureau in 2021, out of the 51 cases registered, charge-sheets were filed in 37 cases, 66 persons were arrested and 5 were convicted.
In 2019, 59 cases were registered for crime against children, charge-sheets were filed in 35 cases, 48 persons were arrested and 31 were convicted. In 2020, out of the 31 cases, charge-sheets were filed in 26, 39 persons were arrested and 13 persons convicted.
But Nagaland registered the lowest number of crimes against children in 2021 while Delhi topped the list among the Union Territories with 7,783 crimes against children in 2021.
The total crimes against children rate at the national level went up from 28.9% in 2020 to 33.6% in 2021. The NCRB data revealed a disturbing picture as 140 children were raped and murdered in 2021, while another 1,402 were also murdered.
At the national level, a total of 4,28,278 cases of crime against women were registered during 2021, showing an increase of 15.3% over 2020 (3,71,503 cases). Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (31.8%) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (20.8%), ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (17.6%) and ‘Rape’ (7.4%).
In all India figures, a total of 1,49,404 cases of crime against children were registered during 2021, showing an increase of 16.2% over 2020 (1,28,531 cases).
The NCRB report states that the genesis of crime can be traced to interplay of various social, economic, demographic, local and institutional factors. The presumption that crime occurs because of the failures of police therefore exhibits a lack of mature understanding of the theories of criminal behavior, it notes.
It further said that any comparison among States/districts/regions/social groups, etc. on the basis of these published data alone will be too simplistic and is best avoided.
